New Trail Development in Thurston Hills

Disciples of Dirt to Partner with Willamalane Park and Recreation District

Disciples of Dirt is extremely excited to share the following press release from Willamalane, the Springfield Parks and Recreation organization. We will have more exciting news and details to share as the project develops.

Willamalane Park and Recreation District (Willamalane) is excited to partner with the Disciples of Dirt to develop mountain bike trails in the Thurston Hills Natural Area.

Willamalane and the Disciples of Dirt were successful in obtaining $154,320 in grant funding from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s Recreational Trails Program for trail design and construction. The project will be supported with Disciples of Dirt’s pledge of over 1500 hours of volunteer work and $13,000 in cash, for a total project cost of $212,175 for trail design and construction in the Thurston Hills Natural Area. This project will be the first of several phases of trail design and construction in the Thurston Hills.

Willamalane anticipates beginning construction on the main trailhead and starting the trail design and construction in the summer of 2017. Presently the timeline for all of this work is in flux as we are in the process of obtaining all the proper land use approvals, permits and agreements before we can begin construction and start work on the trailhead and trails within the Thurston Hills. All of the land use approvals, permits, and agreements are not within Willamalane’s control and therefore we are subject to other agency and jurisdictions timelines and schedules.